University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
University of Iowa
Gophers Claw to 4-3 Win in Iowa City
4/20/2018 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
Iowa City, Iowa. - It was the boittom of the lineup that came up big for the University of Minnesota women's tennis team (14-10, 6-4 Big Ten) in their 4-3 win over Iowa on the road.
Caitlyn Merzbacher clinched her 20th win of the spring season to give her the most by any player since before 2005. Merzbacher sits at 20-3 this season.
Barbara Mancera and Cammy Frei also contributed to the four points for the Gophers. Frei won in straight sets in the No. 6 slot, while Mancera went the distance and won in an exciting third set 6-2 which clinched the victory for the Maroon and Gold.
Doubles
Minnesota got back on track in doubles after dropping the point in the last two duals. Once again it was Tina Kreinis and Annemarie Emme who took control early, then Caroline Ryba and River Hart combined to polish off the doubles point in the No. 3 slot. In the No. 1 position, Caitlyn Merzbacher and Mehvish Safdar had their matchup go unfinished with the No. 63 ranked team in the country, but held a 5-4 lead.
Singles
Cammy Frei was the first to wrap up her singles match in Iowa City. The sophomore was consistent throughout the match, winning an unblemished first set 6-0 and following it up with a dominant 6-3 win.
It was then Caitlyn Merzbacher who gave the Gophers the commanding 3-0 lead in the No. 5 position. The junior would race out to a big lead in the first set, and eventually won the set 7-5 before dominating in the second set 6-0 to clinch the third point of the dual.
In another exciting finish, Mancera clinched the win for the Maroon and Gold for the second time this season. After dominating in the first set 6-1, Mancera would drop the second in a polar opposite manor, 6-0. Mancera would right the ship in the third, with the set tied 2-2 she ripped off four straight games to clinch the match and the dual for the Golden Gophers.
Up Next
Minnesota will travel down to Nebraska for their final regular season dual against the Cornhuskers at 12:00 p.m. The Gophers will then return home for the Big Ten Tournament at Baseline Tennis Center starting on Thursday April 26. Admission is free to all who attend.
Minnesota 4, Iowa 3
Doubles
1. Caitlyn Merzbacher/Mehvish Safdar (MINN) vs. No. 63 VanHuevelen/Reimchen (IOWA) 5-4 unfinished
2. Tina Kreinis/Annemarie Emme (MINN) def. Douglas/Huckleby (IOWA) 6-3
3. River Hart/Caroline Ryba (MINN) def. Crawford/Burich (IOWA) 6-4
Singles
1. Elise Van Heuvelen (IOWA) def. Caroline Ryba (MINN) 7-5, 6-4
2. Zoe Douglas (IOWA) def. Tina Kreinis (MINN) 6-4, 6-2
3. Anastasia Reimchen (IOWA) def. Annemarie Emme (MINN) 6-4, 6-7, 1-0 (10-5)
4. Barbara Mancera (MINN) def. Adorabol Huckleby (IOWA) 6-1, 0-6, 6-2
5. Caitlyn Merzbacher (MINN) def. Montana Crawford (IOWA) 7-5, 6-0
6. Cammy Frei (MINN) def. Danielle Burich (IOWA) 6-0, 6-3
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (6,5,2,4,1,3)
Players Mentioned
